Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or Pat Freiermuth


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Darren Waller News

Darren Waller Going on Injured Reserve

Friday, January 2, 12:55 PM

Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (groin) will be placed on Injured Reserve on Friday, according to Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN. Waller will miss the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday versus the division-rival New England Patriots. The 33-year-old veteran came out of retirement to play for the Dolphins in 2025 and will finish with 24 catches for 283 yards and six touchdowns in only nine games played. Waller got a late start to the season as he worked his way into playing shape and also missed time with a hamstring injury. He was not the same player he was earlier in his career with the Raiders, but Waller still had plenty of red-zone prowess in his return this year. It remains to be seen if he'll attempt to return in 2026 with Miami or another organization. Greg Dulcich should be the Dolphins' top pass-catching TE in Week 18.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Pat Freiermuth News

Pat Freiermuth a Bounce-Back Candidate in New System

Thursday, May 7, 7:16 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had a frustrating 2025 season, catching just 41 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns en route to ranking as the overall TE25 in PPR leagues. There's some uncertainty about his future outlook, but the good news is that the Steelers have a new coaching staff in place, and they didn't bring in anyone to compete with Freiermuth. He's clearly the top option on the depth chart, ahead of players like Darnell Washington and rookie Riley Nowakowski. The bad news, on the other hand, is that in Mike McCarthy's last season as a head coach (2024), Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was the TE25. In the Cowboys' first year without McCarthy, he soared to TE5. So while we're encouraged that the Steelers' coaching staff change -- plus the anticipated return of dependable passer Aaron Rodgers -- could be good for Freiermuth, we also acknowledge that McCarthy doesn't have the greatest short-term track record with the position. The 27-year-old should bounce back this year, but the exact magnitude of his progression is unknown. We're not ready to bank on him being a TE1 in fantasy football.


Darren Waller vs. Pat Freiermuth

Still trying to decide between Waller and Freiermuth? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Darren Waller is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Pat Freiermuth is projected to score 0.0 points.